November 11, 2014

10 TED talks that have moved and changed me:

1. Janet Echelman: Taking Imagination Seriously. [fav quote: “as i watched the wind’s choreography unfold, i felt sheltered and at the same time connected to limitless sky.” this wonderful woman. i admire anyone and everyone who creates – especially those who do it in a way that you’re positive it’s a direct channel straight to their soul. breathtaking.]

2. Brené Brown: The Power of Vulnerability. [fav quote: “…and she said I’m going to call you a storyteller and I was like…why not magic pixi?” a great reminder to face our vulnerability and remain open to what may be the most important things in life: courage, compassion and connection. much like the Grant Study, these are the talks/essays/lectures/books/movies/conversations that remind me of our greater purpose.]

3. Susan Cain: The Power of Introverts. [fav quote: “solitude matters and for some people it is the air that they breathe. and in fact, we have known for centuries about the transcendent power of solitude.” one of my favorite talks thus far…Susan covers several moving topics all in one eloquent speech. a speech made by an absolute introvert.]

4. Hans Rosling: Global Population Growth, Box by Box. [fav quote: “I’m a very serious possibilist. It’s a new category.” yes, i am already quite drawn to this particular global issue, however i love this TED talk for other reasons. make a concept visual for me by using plastic bins, toy cars, toy bicycles, and a pair of flip-flops and i’m definitely sucked in. oh, and the proposed solution is profound.]

5. Elizabeth Gilbert: Your Elusive Creative Genius. [fav quote: “even I, in my mulishness, even I have brushed up against that thing.” that elusive genii, that inexplicable strange external thing that blows through us and gives us a piece of something beyond ourselves. support and embrace the courage of your creative loved ones.]

6. Dan Barber: A Foie Gras Parable. [fav quote: “it’s a gift from God with God saying you’ve done good work.” i don’t know what to say except i’m in love with foie gras, i’m in love with this chef’s humor and message, i’m in love with the Spanish goose whisperer…it’s a serious love fest over here.]

7. Jane McGonigal: Gaming Can Make a Better World. [fav quote: “3 billion hours a week is not nearly enough game-play to solve the worlds’ most urgent problems.” the ONLY argument that has ever made me appreciate gaming. it’s such an interesting theory. check it out.]

8. David Steindl-Rast: Want to Be Happy? Be grateful. [fav quote: “it’s so revolutionary it revolutionizes the very concept of a revolution.” a monk says stop, look, go. our consciousness is changing and David summarizes this movement in a truly inspirational way.]

9. Ric Elias: 3 Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed. [fav quote: “About a month later I was in a performance by my daughter…first grader…not much artistic talent.” I’m generally fascinated by people who have been through scary and/or near-death experiences and what they learned from these precious moments in time. a short, sweet and simple talk reminding us how short, sweet and simple life can be.]

10. David Griffin: How Photography Connects Us. [fav quote: “photography carries a power that holds up under the relentless swirl of today’s saturated media world.” picking the photograph for my blog posts is often just as fulfilling as writing them. i marvel at the concept of how photography connects us, taps into our deepest and most human emotions, and can ultimately change our perception and the world.]

October 17, 2011

10 Shameful Remakes that Prove Hollywood has Imagination Issues:

1. Dallas. [i heard about this today and sure enough, 5 hours later, the overwhelming urge to blog and bitch has overtaken me. in 2012 we will be blessed with another Dallas series revolving around the Ewings. unbelievably, most of the original cast is returning; all of whom are now in their late 70s. but not to worry. i am sure the plot will move towards their very hot and stupid children by episode 2 and we’ll be watching a regurgitated version of One Tree Hill before we know it.]

2. Footloose. [i listened to the Footloose soundtrack in the cassette deck of my first car so much it literally wore out. almost straight out of the movie, i danced and sang so hard to that crazy “rock n roll” music that the tape FELL APART. how can that experience be reproduced? okay, maybe i am just pissed that Kevin Bacon is separated by everyone in Hollywood by a maximum of 6 degrees and he still couldn’t put a fucking stop to this.]

3. The 3 Musketeers. [i was positive that anything already remade with Charlie Sheen would scare the crap out of anyone considering a third go around. i can be so wrong sometimes.]

4. The Thing. [i don’t really remember this film very well, but if i am not mistaken the one released in 1982 was a remake itself…so even though they claim the 2011 version is a prequel, let’s be honest. we’re on #3 again somehow. my best guess is someone lazy at Universal needed something to get us through Halloween.]

5. It. [the absolute scariest book i’ve ever read and even though the miniseries fell a bit flat, Tim Curry as a sadistic killer clown who eats children isn’t something to be taken lightly. i am already having nightmares of the new cast including Christian Bale doing a strange “clown voice” and the whole thing falling to pieces before i even see a preview.]

6. The Crow. [1993: in Wilmington, NC my parents’ retail store was right across the street from the movie studio where Brandon Lee was accidentally killed while filming the first one. i have always had a deep cultish love for that film. there is a dark beauty about the original that feels as if art and life get completely lost in one another and it all has great meaning in the end. is Relativity Media saying this can be recreated or even should be?]

7. Point Break. [set to be released in 2013, no one knows what will happen with this film and it’s only in development as we speak. that said, it’s going to be remade and that is the only question that needs to be addressed anyway. oh right. some aspiring director out there wants to show the world how much better he can get an actor to express such thoughts as “100% pure adrenaline!”]

8. Miami Vice. [we all saw this coming. yes, cool that Michael Mann did the original and was the one to sign on for the remake. but the tv series in the mid-late eighties was more about a new wave of music and culture that defined a generation; not so much about cops and drama. now all Americans seem to care about are procedurals so maybe Mann should have flipped the whole thing on its head and he would have had a hit. these movie execs really need to start coming to me first.]

9. Arthur. [i didn’t see this movie and the 26% on Rotten Tomatoes leads me to believe i didn’t miss much. but ratings and reviews have nothing to do with my lack of interest. truth is, Dudley Moore was a comedic genius that greatly influenced my childhood love of movies and nobody should think for a second that they can replicate that talent or pee-inducing laughter.]

10. Short Circuit. [it’s so hard not to cry. can’t even type. very difficult. my only wish; please, please i beg you Dimension Films, just do not create some retarded CGI robot with a name like Jar Jar to be Number 5’s new best friend. my heart is in your hands.]